


Talentswap: Despair Route (BEING REWRITTEN)

by lake_writes



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: (i try not to do too much gore), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Different Victims and Killers, First Kiss, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oblivious Pining, Pining, Romance, Talentswap, Trans Saihara Shuichi, how in the world do i tag for this, killing game, kinda???, kokichi's so stupid when it comes to feelings, obviously, oh yeah i forgot, oumoron is a thing trust me, that tag will make sense closer to the end but yee, uuh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lake_writes/pseuds/lake_writes
Summary: Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Detective, is unsure as to how he got in this situation, and why Shuichi ended up here with him. All he knows is he's going to have to find a way to escape, hopefully with everyone else still intact. Fingers crossed that he can meet that goal.~~~~~This fic is titled "Despair Route" because I also plan to write a series for this talentswap that'll be a HPA au for these students. So keep an eye out for that!Discord Server: https://discord.gg/fbfnQxv
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Harukawa Maki/Tojo Kirumi, Amami Rantaro/K1-B0, Chabashira Tenko/Yonaga Angie/Yumeno Himiko, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, more will be added or changed as things develop
Comments: 23
Kudos: 142





	1. Prologue Pt. 1

Darkness. A total blackness that seemed intent to swallow his body whole. That was all Kokichi knew, all he could remember. What did he look like? Who was Kokichi Ouma? He didn’t know. He reached out with a hand, one that he didn’t remember if it was actually his or not, watching with a muted curiosity as it pressed flat against something cool and smooth. He pushed against it, applying more and more force, intrigued as it groaned and squeaked, louder and louder until it gave away completely, swinging open and sending him toppling to the floor. He cried out in surprise, yelping as he landed on his side, almost smacking his head against the hard surface.

...Ah. It looked like he was in a classroom. A rather overgrown one, he noted, taking in the foliage that was growing all over the room. It was… disgusting almost. Kokichi pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt off his uniform. His vest seemed relatively clean, as did the scarf he tied around his neck and the shirt underneath. His pants, however, were a different story, stained with dirt and dust. He groaned softly. “Great,” he grumbled, before putting his hands on his hips and looking around to get a better look at his surroundings.

Yeah, this was a classroom, alright. There were a bunch of desks sat neatly in their rows, although the layer of dust that accumulated on his finger when he swept it across the top of one told him that they hadn’t been used in a while. He made a noise of disgust, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping his hand clean. His mind wandered to the windows next, and of course, he followed, his detective instincts telling him that he needed to investigate. Why were they barred? And with barbed wire, of all things? It would be so easy to cut through this.

Unless they weren’t necessarily there to keep anyone inside. Kokichi brought his hand to his chin, staring thoughtfully at the barbed wire. What would his mentor, Tatsuo Saihara do? He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. Saihara… why was that nagging at his mind so much? Saihara…  _ Shuichi _ . The name hit him like a freight train, making his heart clench. Was he here? Was he safe? All he could remember was glimpses, him and the taller boy walking along the street, when suddenly Kokichi was grabbed. He remembered being pulled back towards something, and seeing Shuichi lunging for him before… before what? That was where everything ended.

Kokichi whipped around as the other locker (had that second locker always been there?) began to rattle and shake. He watched with wide eyes as the door swung open, allowing another body to fall through and land on the floor with a solid thump, much like his own had. He winced as the newcomer’s head made contact with the floor, although he was quick to mask it as they lifted their head. “What the hell?”

This newcomer definitely seemed to be female. Their dirty blonde hair reached just about down to the middle of their back, seeming to go every which way while also managing to look neat and tidy. Icy blue eyes swept over their surroundings before finally coming to rest on Kokichi’s face, a cocky smile tugging at their lips. “Hah, so some virgin idiot’s here too,” they hummed, their hands resting on their hips. “What’s your name?”

Kokichi’s eyes narrowed as he looked the person up and down. They donned a high school uniform, a darker pink with blue trim, with a skirt that went down to just below their thighs. Their shawl-like jacket hung open, exposing the white undershirt that was usually hidden underneath. Kokichi only barely noticed the red string that was draped around their hips, tied loosely as if it were to be used as a belt. A necklace with a large, red stone embedded in the charm gleamed around their neck, and they raised their hand to toy with it, as if it were a nervous habit.

“...Kokichi,” he said after a moment, returning his gaze to her face. “And you are?”

“Miu fuckin’ Iruma,” the newcomer boasted, puffing out their chest and grinning with pride. “Ultimate Anthropologist at your service! I’ve travelled the world, studying all the cultures that I can, so you could probably say that I’m a genius.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow, letting an unimpressed “uh-huh” fall from his lips. “Well, since you so graciously told me your Ultimate talent without me even asking, I suppose it’s fair that I tell you my own as well.” He paused for dramatic effect, his lips curling into a sinister looking smile as he played with his scarf. “You could say I’m the Ultimate Serial Killer.”

Miu took a step back, icy eyes widening as fear glinted through them. “W-What? Y-You’re not serious, right? You can’t… be…”

Kokichi’s mouth twitched slightly at the corners before he doubled over laughing, clutching at his stomach. “Man, you actually fell for that? No fucking way! Some genius  _ you _ are!” He watched the myriad of emotions flicker through Miu’s face until it finally settled on rage, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away.

“That wasn’t funny,” she huffed, refusing to look Kokichi in the eye. “Especially not when we’re in a situation like this.”

Kokichi sobered at those words. She had a point. They were stuck in a strange classroom without a clue as to how they got there or why they were there in the first place. He looked at her with a bored expression, folding his arms behind his head as he sighed dramatically. “God, you’re sooo boring,” he hummed, blinking lazily. “Fine, if you must know, I’m actually the Ultimate Detective. I can’t believe you didn’t pick that up.”

Miu’s eyebrows drew together as she stared him down. “An Ultimate Detective, huh? So you must have taken a look around already, right? What did you find out?”

Kokichi grinned again, his eyes light and teasing. “Why should I tell you, huuuh? It could be something super duper dangerous for an ordinary peasant like you to know!” His grin only grew wider as she opened her mouth to retort. “I’ll tell you what I know, but you’ll owe me for it.”

Miu paused, catching the nail of her thumb between her teeth as she thought. “...What would I have to give you?” she asked after a moment, bringing her gaze back to his face.

Kokichi shrugged, his grin never faltering. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out at a later date~” he singsonged. “Now, do we have a deal?” He stretched a hand out to her, staring expectantly at her face. Miu stared at him hesitantly before reaching out and shaking his hand. Her grip was weak and her palm was sweaty, Kokichi noticed with a grimace. He stuck out his tongue and pulled his hand away. “Ew, gross gross  _ gross _ ,” he chanted, shaking his hand before wiping it with his handkerchief again.

Miu only glowered at him. “Sh-Shut up! You can’t blame me for being nervous,” she snapped, returning to having her arms crossed. “I’m not used to s-situations like these!”

Kokichi gave her another unimpressed look. “I’m sure that there are some cultures where you’ve been trapped in a room before,” he stated.

“Well,  _ yeah _ , but those at least felt welcoming,” she retorted. “Now are you gonna fuckin’ tell me what you found out or not?”

Kokichi heaved a sigh. “You’re so impatient,” he tutted, strolling over to the window again. “Well, I concluded for sure that whoever blocked these windows didn’t do it with the intent to keep us from escaping, so there’s a chance that we’re allowed to go outside, if not now then maybe later on.” He ran his fingers over the barbed wire again, grimacing as his hand came away with another coating of dust. “Seriously, who the hell cleans this place? They oughta be fired.”

“Okay, okay, Sherlock, continue with the info,” Miu huffed impatiently.

“Alright, alright, relaaax Miu. Geez.” He shoved his hands in his pockets now, shrugging his shoulders. “This is definitely a school, there’d be no other reason for this room to have a whiteboard and all these desks, which  _ means _ -” he paused for dramatic effect, grinning- “that we’re most likely not the only ones here.”

Miu frowned. “What the fuck do you mean? Why would you assume that just because we’re in a classroom we’re not alone? Where the fuck is your evidence?”

Kokichi just laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “Call it a hunch,” he hummed. “I don’t have evidence, but you’ll find that my intuition is usually spot on.” He began walking for the door. “Now, I’m going to see if I can track down the others. Feel free to stay here if you want, but there’s always a chance that something bad could happen to ya if you do!”

He pulled the door open, giggling to himself as he heard her stuttered responses as she rushed after him, keeping uncomfortably close to him in the wide hallway. “Th-That wasn’t funny either,” Miu babbled, glaring weakly down at him.

“I wasn’t joking though,” Kokichi hummed, keeping his eyes trained forward as they walked. “Something bad  _ could _ have happened if you were alone in there. Since we don’t know what’s going on, it’s better to stick together. Safety in numbers, as they say.” Miu kept silent at that, possibly trying to ignore what the detective was saying. Fine by him, anyhow. Her breath smelled awful.

Kokichi kept a carefully straight face when he heard the footsteps coming up from ahead of them. Whoever was coming toward them were wearing boots, from the sound of it, not too heavy but not too light, either. They were walking with a purpose, possibly trying to find something, or someone? He stopped, holding an arm out to stop Miu as his eyes narrowed. “H-Hey, wait for me,” a voice called out, echoing against the walls. It came from the same direction as the footsteps. “We should stick together, shouldn’t we?”

What caught Kokichi’s attention was the lack of response. Normally whoever the other voice was travelling with would be inclined to respond one way or another, but it seemed that no attempt was given. Kokichi could only think of one person who would treat a situation like that, especially around strangers, and yet he held his tongue. No need confusing anyone if it wasn’t who it turned out to be.

Miu, on the other hand, seemed to have a different idea. She raised her hands, cupping them around her mouth, and drew in a deep breath. “Hey! We can hear you, ya know!” she called out, making Kokichi flinch away, covering his ears. He glared at her, and she stuck out her tongue in response.

The pace of the footsteps quickened, these ones lighter than the other, as a girl with long blonde hair turned the corner, grinning widely as she caught sight of Kokichi and Miu. “Oh! Perfect, so we aren’t the only two here!” she breathed, rushing over to meet them. “I’m Kaede Akamatsu,” she introduced herself, dropping into a curtsy as she drew up in front of them. “The Ultimate Maid, at your service.”

Her outfit didn’t look like a high school uniform, he noted, although he supposed it made sense. Her dress was a nice pristine white, obviously well-kept, as expected of a maid. Her apron was a dark pink, even darker than the pink of Miu’s uniform, almost a purple, if you looked at it in the right light. Her shoes match the color of her apron, with golden buckles adorning them. Her hair was swept over her shoulders, tied back loosely to keep it from flying everywhere. “Kokichi Ouma, Ultimate Ser-” He caught Miu’s glare, and he pouted. “Ultimate Detective.”

“And I’m Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Anthropologist!” Miu boasted, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. “I’m kinda a genius, I know, don’t get your panties in a twist.” Kaede only gave a smile in response to Miu’s declaration, nodding her head.

“It sounded like you were with someone else,” Kokichi hummed, raising a hand to stare at his nails, feigning disinterest. “So it sounds like my theory might have been correct, eh Miss Genius?”

Miu glowered at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, shut it, limp-dick. No one fuckin’ asked you.”

“Oh?” Kokichi hummed, tilting his head, a shit-eating grin spreading over his face. “I’m pretty sure you did, if I recall correctly. You even made a deal with me so you could hear it.” He pressed a finger to his lips, his eyes glittering mischievously.

Miu growled quietly, her hands flexing as she reached out for him. “You’re lucky that I’m so nice,” she hissed, “or else I’d throttle you right here, right now.”

Kokichi only smirked, catching a glimpse of movement from down the hall. “Go for it, bitchlet, you’ll surely regret it,” he hummed, folding his arms behind his head and shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Kaede cried out in surprise and dismay as Miu lunged for Kokichi, her fingers just barely brushing his throat before a hand cut in between them, pressing against her chest and shoving her backwards and onto the floor. A tall boy had wormed his way between them, grey-ish yellow eyes gleaming as his free hand hovered over a small sheath attached to his belt. Kokichi could see the ends of dark blue hair spilling out from beneath a black cap, his lips stretching wide in a smile, this time sincere. “Good job, Shuichi-chan,” he cooed, patting at the taller boy’s arm.

Kaede, who had rushed to Miu’s side to check her for injuries, lifted her head to study the taller boy. “So that’s your name, huh? Shuichi…” She tested the name out on her tongue before shaking her head. “He refused to give me his name when I asked.”

“Well, duh, of course he did,” Kokichi sighed, his tone light and mocking. “He’s not going to give his name to some complete rando! Especially not with his talent.” He giggled, smiling secretively. “You can never know who’s an enemy or a friend in his line of work.”

“You’re seriously not going to claim he’s the Ultimate Serial Killer or something now, are you?” Miu croaked as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, glaring heavily at the two of them. “That joke’s seriously fuckin’ lame.”

Kokichi’s smile turned mischievous again, and he shrugged. “I’m not gonna claim anything for him,” he hummed. “Because that’s his own business, not any of mine, even if we did spend a lot of time together before we got to this stupid place.”

Shuichi turned, his gaze roaming up and down Kokichi’s body, as if he were scanning him, before his shoulders relaxed. He stepped back, bowing ever so slightly in Miu’s direction. “Forgive me,” he spoke, his voice soft and raspy as he glanced up at her. “It looked as if Ouma-kun were in danger, so I had to act quickly.”

“What are you, his fuckin’ bodyguard or something?” Miu asked, before a smirk stole across her face. “Or are you his little bitch boytoy~?”

And there was the tenseness that Shuichi usually carried. He drew himself up straight, his lips twitching back in the barest of snarls before he forced himself to calm down again. One hand shot up to his cap, tugging it down lower over his eyes before he glanced back at the short detective, his eyes questioning. Kokichi shook his head, patting his arm. “Trust me, Shumai, she isn’t worth it.” He spoke in a soothing tone, letting his hand linger on the taller boy’s sleeve. “She’s just a stupid anthropologist who doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.”

Shuichi nodded slightly at that, stepping back this time so he was behind Kokichi, the hand that had gripped at his hat now fiddling with the cape that he wore around his shoulders. Kokichi thought it was a nice touch, black with a white underside, fitting in nicely with the black fabric and gold trim and buttons on his uniform. The hat had been a gift from Kokichi himself, since Shuichi seemed nervous about making eye contact with strangers for any long period of time, and he couldn’t help the rush of pride he had felt when he noticed Shuichi had started wearing it every day. He turned on his heel, ignoring the girl still seated on the floor, her eyes wide and her mouth open in slight shock as Shuichi moved to follow him. “Welp, I’m bored, so we’ll take our leave!” the detective singsonged, striding down the hall with a pep in his step.

There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by a hushed apology from Shuichi and the click of his heeled boots on the linoleum floors of the hallway as the supreme leader followed suit after the detective.


	2. Prologue Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo!! I finally managed to get this finished!! I was stuck on this chapter for a really long time, but now it's done and I can post it for all of you! I really hope you enjoy it!

Silence stretched between the two boys as they walked side by side down the hall, vaguely aware of the presences of the anthropologist and maid tailing them from what they assumed was a safe distance. Kokichi could feel Shuichi’s gaze lighting on him every so often, his posture tall and proper, as it usually was. Something was on his mind, that much was for sure. “You know, you can say whatever you want to,” Kokichi hummed, his arms folded behind his head with a soft smile. “It’s just you and me right now.”

Shuichi’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, his hands knotting nervously in his cape as it curled around his form, his eyes glittering with unease. “Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice quiet and his words rushed. “You aren’t injured, right?”

Kokichi’s heart melted when he caught the pure concern in the other boy’s golden eyes, and he only allowed his smile to grow softer as it widened. “No, I’m fine,” he responded, his voice just as quiet. “And I trust that you’re alright as well?”

Shuichi gave a curt nod to that, glancing behind them to see if Kaede and Miu were still following them as they rounded a corner. “My head hurts a little, I kind of hit my head a bit before I met Akamatsu-san. But I’ll be fine.”

Kokichi tutted. “Your Mr. Tough Guy act is gonna get you killed one of these days, Shuichi-chan,” he chided, fixing the supreme leader with a glare. “You should start telling the truth more often.”

A wry smile crossed Shuichi’s lips, amusement lighting in his gaze. “You of all people have no right to be telling me that,” he retorted with a chuckle. “My uncle still doesn’t quite trust you with a case on your own because of your tendency to mess around during investigations.”

Kokichi pouted at that. “But how else am I supposed to find all the evidence if I don’t do my job?” he whined, his lower lip jutting out.

“By investigating professionally?” Shuichi suggested with a grin. “It’d probably go a lot quicker than your roundabout way of solving mysteries.”

Kokichi groaned. “You’re just like your uncle, party pooper,” he muttered, glancing away with a scowl. “My way of doing it is soooo much more fun.”

Shuichi’s grin widened, although it remained soft and light. “I’ll give you that. I prefer your way of investigating over his.”

“And that’s why Shuichi-chan is a man of good taste!” Kokichi exclaimed, turning and grinning at the taller boy. “You know true talent when you see it!” Shuichi chuckled softly, reaching out and ruffling the detective’s hair, a fond gesture that he referred to often. Kokichi had long since stopped being annoyed by it.

Shuichi paused when they reached a set of stairs, glancing around himself to make sure Kaede and Miu were still following them, maintaining what they assumed was a safe distance. “There’s no one up here on this floor…” he muttered after a moment. “So they must be elsewhere in the building…”

“Yeah…” Kokichi murmured his assent, before he frowned. “There’s got to be more than just us here, but the question is how many more of us?” He pressed a finger to his lips as he thought.

“Well, we won’t find out the answer if we just stand around!” Kokichi jumped as Miu’s loud voice sounded from right behind the duo. “Get a fuckin’ move on, limp dick!”

Kokichi glared at Miu for a split second, muttering a phrase that sounded suspiciously like ‘dirty whore’ under his breath before he began his descent down the stairs. The detective was vaguely aware of Kaede quietly apologizing to Shuichi, followed by the gentle voice scolding Miu for her actions and the clicks of the supreme leader’s boots following him down the steps. “She needs to learn to keep her mouth shut,” he grumbled as Shuichi drew up next to him.

Shuichi didn’t respond, only nodding mutely as he stared straight ahead, eyes alert as they entered the lower floor. He had a look on his face that Kokichi knew far too well, he was paying close attention to their surroundings, trying to pick out any sign of people nearby. Must be from some of the heists he’s pulled, Kokichi thought with a slight twinge of distaste. Even though the reasons Shuichi had the habit were, in their own way, righteous, it stemmed from a nasty habit. But, it came in handy an awful lot. Especially right now.

Shuichi halted abruptly, holding his arm out to stop Kokichi in his tracks as one of the doors to the classrooms on their right flew open, a blur of purple tumbling out into the open with a surprised shout. “Ah!” The newcomer’s hair was gelled up, obnoxiously so, Kokichi thought with a wrinkled nose.

“Be careful, numbnuts,” the detective spat. “If Shuichi-chan hadn’t been here, you would have crushed me!” Shuichi shot him a disapproving glare, although he remained silent as he reached out, helping the newcomer to his feet.

“Well it ain’t my fault you guys were standing right outside the door,” the taller man huffed out, brushing off his purple hoodie. It hung open to reveal some stupid looking anime t-shirt, adorned with characters that Kokichi honestly didn’t give a flying fuck about. A messenger bag hung from his shoulder, the strap covered in various pins and buttons from all sorts of anime and manga, and if Kokichi stretched his neck, he could see a few other articles of clothing hidden inside the opening. “Watch where you’re going next time.”

“I apologize,” Shuichi spoke up, bowing slightly at the waist, his hand coming up to Kokichi’s neck and pushing him down to do the same. “We didn’t realize there was anyone in the classroom, otherwise we would have stopped.” He straightened up, pointedly ignoring the fact that Kokichi stuck his tongue out at him. “My name is Saihara Shuichi.”

The newcomer grinned, his eyes gleaming almost as much as his teeth were. “And I’m Momota Kaito! I’m the Ultimate Cosplayer!” Kaito leaned forward slightly, looking Shuichi up and down, head to toe. “You look like you’re something out of an anime yourself, what’s your talent?”

A slim eyebrow arched as Shuichi stared blankly at the cosplayer. “...I look like I’m something out of an anime,” he repeated blandly before huffing a sigh through his nose. “I suppose I’ve been called worse, although I don’t see why my talent would be important to you.”

Kaito frowned, his eyes flicking to Kokichi for a brief moment before he focused on the taller boy again. “I… I mean, I  _ did _ just tell you mine,” he said after a moment, his voice wavering, as if he had lost his nerve. “I-It’s a bit of a fair trade, you know?”

The light in Shuichi’s eyes hardened, his jaw clenching as his lips pressed in a thin, firm line. Kokichi’s eyes widened, he knew where this was going to go. He’d seen it before. Shuichi would wipe the floor with this guy if he didn’t do something. “That sounds kinda boring, Momota-chan,” he hummed, lifting a hand to gaze at his nails before smirking up at the cosplayer. “I mean, what kind of talent  _ is _ that? It’s practically just a grown man playing dress-up, isn’t it? You need to get a better hobby.”

Kaito let out an indignant noise, his face turning an awful shade of red, pure anger making his eyes practically glow. “It’s not the same as ‘playing dress-up’, I’ll have you know,” he growled out, stalking closer to Kokichi. “Cosplay is an art, it’s a coping mechanism, it’s a hobby that many people, young and old, can enjoy. I bet it’s more fun than anything you do, you fuckin’ shrimp-”

“Hey!” a new voice rang out. Kaito spun on his heel to glare at whoever was coming down the hall toward them, while Kokichi leaned to the side to get a better look around his messenger bag.

It was a boy, or at least, Kokichi assumed they were, with white hair that hung into shockingly blue eyes. Their skin was fair, almost frighteningly pale, as if they were sick, or just didn’t get much sun. They wore a dark blue t-shirt, paired with tan cargo pants that hid the top part of the hiking boots they wore. Their hands were shoved in their pockets, but if Kokichi looked close enough, he could guess that he was probably wearing some sort of gloves as well. 

“Who the hell are you?” Kaito snapped, his eyes narrowing as he looked the newcomer up and down. “This isn’t any of your business.”

They stopped in front of Kaito, their hands planted firmly on their hips as they glowered at him. “That’s no way to treat a stranger, even if they’re being rude! Haven’t you ever heard of first impressions?!” Their voice was smooth as they spoke, even if they sounded angry at the exchange that had just occurred.

“Geez, finally, someone gets it,” Kokichi huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest and puffing out his cheeks. “I was only acting like that because you were rude to Shuichi-chan!”

“W-What?! I wasn’t being rude!” Kaito spluttered out, sounding indignant as he glared at Kokichi. “All I asked was that he share his Ultimate Talent, since I told him mine!”

The newcomer clicked their tongue disapprovingly, shaking their head. “But he doesn’t have to answer that question if he doesn’t wish to,” they said. “Although, that reminds me, I should introduce myself. My name is Iidabashi Kiibo. I’m the Ultimate Adventurer.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow. Adventurer, huh? This should be interesting. “My name is Ouma Kokichi! I’m the Ultimate Detective,” he exclaimed quickly, waving his arm through the air. “So if you need to do any investigating, come to me! And this is Saihara Shuichi-chan!”

Shuichi gave Kaito a look as he tipped his hat in greeting before he fixed his gaze to Kiibo. “So, you’re the Ultimate Adventurer, hm? Does that mean you’ve been all over the world?”

Kiibo scratched his cheek, his face turning red in embarrassment. “Ah, well, I haven’t been everywhere yet, but I have been to a lot of places, yes.” His eyes, however, sparkled with pride. “I hope to escape this place soon, I’d really like to continue exploring the world.”

Shuichi smiled, the expression guarded, yet gentle, as he tilted his head to the side. “That sounds like it’d be nice,” he hummed. “I wish I’d be able to do that, but my line of work keeps me in one place most of the time.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Well, I suppose I could go international if I needed to.”

Now Kiibo looked intrigued. “Oh? And what is your line of work, if you don’t mind me asking, Saihara-kun?” His voice was gentle and polite. “You don’t have to answer me, though, its completely up to you if you want to tell me or not.”

Shuichi looked conflicted, glancing at Kokichi out of the corner of his eye, as if searching for some form of reassurance. All the detective could offer was a shrug of one shoulder. “It’s your choice, Shuichi-chan, if you want to tell him, then tell him.”

Kiibo’s eyebrows rose in surprise at that. “First name basis?” he questioned, tipping his head to the side. “Did you two know each other before this?”

Shuichi gave a slight nod as Kokichi beamed. “Yes,” the supreme leader responded, his voice low as he glanced at the cosplayer out of the corner of his eye. “We went to middle school together. I don’t understand why we were brought here, but we were both taken from the streets when we were out together.”

Kiibo’s eyebrows furrowed at that. “...So you’re saying you were just taken off the street too?” he asked, looking concerned. He glanced to Kaito next. “And were you, as well?” Kaito nodded, looking a little lost.

“The hell does that have to do with anything?” the cosplayer asked. “It’s not like they were targeting us specifically, right?”

Kokichi frowned, looking thoughtful as he tapped his finger against his lips. Shuichi tilted his head to watch him, a knowing glint in his eyes. He was familiar with this look. “...How do we know that they weren’t, though?” he mused. “We’re all Ultimates, including the others that Shuichi-chan and I met… How do we know that they weren’t targeting us specifically?”

“Because that’s just absurd!” Kaito argued. “We didn’t do anything, so why would anyone go after us?”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Kokichi shot back, glaring at the cosplayer. It was decided, he really didn’t like this guy, and from the way Shuichi was watching the exchange, he didn’t really like him either. “We’re  _ Ultimates _ , they kidnapped us, and-” He paused, his eyes going wide. “...They kidnapped us.”

A piece had fallen into place, just then, as those words tumbled past his lips. He shut his mouth quickly, wincing as his teeth clicked loudly in the silence, his eyes darting about warily. Shuichi caught his gaze, and after a moment, he lifted his head, glancing at Kaito. “I believe that’s enough,” he warned softly. “Kokichi-kun and I will be taking our leave. We have some more investigating to do.”

“Who the fuck are you to make that decision?” Kaito barked, clenching his fist as he leaned into Shuichi’s personal space. “I don’t remember anyone dying and crowning you our leader.”

Shuichi’s lips twisted into a grin, one that was only the slightest bit unsettling. “That’s because no one did,” he hummed, reaching up to tug his hat down over his eyes. “I’m merely authoritative because it’s what my talent demands. Maybe if you’d been kinder, I’d have told you upfront about it.”

With that, he turned, his cape almost whipping behind him as he strode past, nudging the cosplayer out of the way with his shoulder while giving Kiibo a polite smile and a nod. Kaito gaped at him as he passed before he turned back to Kokichi, his eyes glinting with the slightest hint of fear. “...You really shouldn’t hang out with that guy,” he muttered. “You’re gonna end up killed because of him. He’s dangerous.”

Kokichi’s eyes narrowed, and he glared up at the cosplayer. “You think you know more about someone who’s been my friend for years than me?” he growled out. “Seriously? You do something to piss him off, and now suddenly he’s the bad guy. Don’t you see why he didn’t want you to know his talent? This exact sort of thing happens.” He turned his head, his expression turning cheerful as he grinned up at Kiibo. “You, on the other hand, Shuichi-chan really likes you. See you around, Iidabashi-chan!” he chirped, waving up at him before sprinting off down the hall to catch up with Shuichi.

It didn’t take him long to find the supreme leader. He had stopped walking once he rounded the corner, instead opting to sit down on the overgrown floor, his knees pulled up to his chest as he stared blankly at the wall before him. Kokichi frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy lance through his chest as he knelt down next to him. “Don’t listen to stupid Momota-chan,” he said softly, leaning forward to try and make eye contact with Shuichi. “He doesn’t know anything about you.”

“He thinks I’m going to get you killed,” Shuichi croaked out, only making eye contact with Kokichi for a moment. “It’s… It’s almost like middle school all over again.”

“What, so you’re going to just up and disappear like you did back then as well?” Kokichi asked, his voice stern. “I only saw you at the beginning and end of each day, Shuichi-chan, that scared me half to death. I wasn’t sure if you were off picking fights with gangs or what. This is nothing like  _ her _ , I promise. I’ll make sure of that.”

When Shuichi turned back to look at the detective before him, his eyes were glazed with tears. Something that only Kokichi was allowed to see. “I’d like to see you try,” Shuichi murmured, a crooked smile crossing his lips as he rubbed at his eyes. “Seriously.”

“And you shall!” Kokichi chirped, springing to his feet and holding out his hand. “Now, come on, I think I saw a sign that said the gymnasium was up ahead. Maybe there’ll be some clues there, as to what’s really going on here. And maybe an escape route!” His eyes were bright as he thought of the possibilities, and yet, deep down, he was cautious. He knew that there wasn’t a guarantee that it’d be that easy. But, of course, it never hurt to keep hope.

Shuichi only laughed as he accepted the hand that was offered to him, and allowed the short detective to pull him down the hallway, the grass and other vegetation crushed beneath their feet. It seemed Kokichi’s determination was contagious, because Shuichi felt his heart warming as he gazed upon the door that was rapidly approaching him.

Kokichi’s hand reached out, grasping the doorknob with only a moment’s hesitation before he threw them open, exposing the gymnasium that had previously been hidden away. Kokichi’s breath caught in his throat. There was quite a few more people here than he had been expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading! If you're new, please leave kudos if you enjoyed, and make sure to leave a comment down below! Also, I have a discord server! If you'd like to join, the link is in the summary!


	3. Announcement

Heyyy uh, long time no see on this fic huh?

I figured it's time to stop beating around the bush with this. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I think it's time to discontinue it. HOWEVER. I'm not entirely done with my talentswap. It's just that I'm overall dissatisfied with how this is written, plus backstories have been revised since i released the first part of the prologue, so I'm essentially going to wipe the slate clean and start over from scratch.

I hope you all stick around to see the new first part of the prologue once it's finished, that'd be amazing. Join my discord server if you'd like to chat with me about my fics!! Invite link is in the summary! Thank you for being so patient with me, and I really hope you enjoy the new and improved talentswap fic once I get it started.


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